Month: December 2016

Many of us will be packing our bags and heading for the slopes in the new year, but how do we make sure we come back injury free?

#1: Preparation

A week on the slopes can be exciting, exhilarating, and for most of us – completely exhausting! 6-8 hours a day of aerobic exercise requiring good balance, strength and flexibility – it’s often a lot more than our office jobs demand of us! So to get the most out of your holiday start your preparation early – ideally this should begin 6-12 weeks before your fit the slopes depending on your base level of fitness. If you have any niggling injuries try to get them seen to by a physio ASAP before you go to give yourself maximum chance of recovery rather than leaving it until the week before!

Key areas to tackle in your ski-fit workout include:

Aerobic fitness – cycling, running, cross trainers or step machines are great to build up your aerobic capacity and get those legs working at the same time, if your gym has a ‘ski trainer’ machine even better!

Strength training – focus on the quads and gluts with the following easy exercises you can do at home:

Step downs: standing with one foot on a step facing forwards, slowing lower yourself down to tap the heel of the other foot to the floor, then bring it back on the step. Try to keep your pelvis level and your standing knee in line with your 2nd toe as you do this!

Lateral step downs:with one foot on a step facing sideways, slowly bend your knee to tap te heel of the other foot to the ground. Try to keep your pelvis level and your standing knee in line with your 2nd toe as you do this!

Backward lunges: From a standing position step back into a lunge, dropping the back knee towards the floor. Try to keep your pelvis level and your standing knee in line with your 2nd toe as you do this!

Soleus stretch: Stand with one foot in front of the other, bend both knees until you feel a stretch in the lower part of the calf on the back leg. Hold 30secs.

Glut stretch: Lay on your back, cross one foot over the other thigh to feel the stretch in your buttock, to increase this stretch pull that other thigh in towards your chest. Hold 30secs.

Adductor stretch: Stand with your legs wide apart, lunge to one side taking the weight over the knee, keep both feet facing forwards. Hold 30 secs.

If you want to have some expert guidance in a more supportive setting, we run specialist exercise based group rehab, where we can put together a bespoke exercise plan for you to work on under our supervision in our Strong Room. You can read more about this specialist service here.

#2: Warm up

Preparation done, don’t ruin your hard work by forgetting to warm up before you leave the chalet. Get all your joints (ankles, knees, hips, thoracic spine and shoulders) warmed up by taking them through their full range of motion several times. Squats, lunges, heel raises and upper body twists are all great to start firing those key muscle groups. It’s worth spending a good 5-10minutes on this before you head out, then repeat a couple when you get to the top of that chair lift if it’s been a long ride!

#3: Protection

If you’re carrying an injury be sure to strap yourself up; theres a huge range of knee braces, wrist guards and back protectors on the market so ask your physio if you’re not sure. And don’t forget that helmet!

#4: On the slopes

Remember you are most likely to injure yourself when your muscles are fatigued so regular breaks, good hydration (of the non-alcoholic variety!) and knowing when to call it a day are all essentials to not ruin your holiday on day 1! Well-fitting boots are also key to prevent blisters and sores that will hamper your ski style!

#5: Apres-ski

Stretching for a few minutes before you head to the bar is going to make your next day’s skiing a lot more comfortable, (see stretches above) and remember that alcohol is likely to affect you more at altitude, particularly after a full days exercise, so take it easy!

With consumers set to shell out billions of pounds on gadgets such as smart phones, tablets and games consoles this this Christmas, how do you make sure your gift doesn’t turn into a pain in the neck?

Technology has revolutionised every aspect of modern life from how we communicate to how we do our shopping. However recent research has suggested we now spend as long as 5-8hours a day on our smart phones and tablets! These devices are designed mainly with portability in mind so many of us will be familiar with the stiff thumbs from tapping away on games consoles, the burning neck pain from looking down at your ipad for a couple hours and the achy back from curling up on your sofa with your laptop on your knees.

Here our top 3 tips to avoid these pains

Limit technology time – set some simple boundaries like no gadgets at the dining table, switching off an hour before bed or no more than an hour at a time in front of a screen. Think about what you’re actually going online for – to complete a certain task or just as a distraction?

Think about your posture – your head is the heaviest part of your body so looking down at a tablet for hours on end is sure to give you a sore neck. Instead try a laptop or tablet stand, ideally with an external keyboard to bring your screen up to eye level. For smart phones straighten your back and hold the phone higher.

Stretch out after use – if you’ve over done it stretch out your neck muscles by gently rotating your head left and right and tilting it side to side several times, roll your shoulders and rotate your trunk left and right too. Use a heat pack or microwavable wheat bag to ease the tension and pain.

As the festive season is upon us many will find themselves with long car journeys ahead to visit loved ones. However, hours spent in the car in 1 position, coupled with the stress and anxiety of traffic jams, can leave us getting out the car feeling 10 years older!

We can’t do much about the traffic (sorry!) but getting your car set up well and following a few simple tips can make the journey much more pleasant, leaving you pain-free to enjoy the festivities.

Car Set Up

The degree of adjustment available to you in your car will depend on it’s make, model and year but most modern vehicles will have an array of buttons and levers to play with.

Start with seat height – make sure you’ve got maximum vision of the road over the steering wheel but not so high your heads touching the roof!

Move the seat forward so that you can fully depress the clutch and accelerator without overstretching the legs.

Adjust the seat tilt so that your thighs are supported but you don’t feel pressure behind the knees.

Adjust the backrest so that you have contact right from the lower back up to shoulder height – try to make sure you are quite upright so that you don’t end up slouched in the seat with your neck craning forwards.

Adjust the steering wheel height so that your arms are in a relaxed position
Adjust the head rest so that its level with the back of the head.

You may need to re-adjust your position as you move other things so play around with it until you feel comfortable and supported. It’s worth spending 5-10minutes doing this before a long journey to prevent hours of pain at the other end! Don’t forget to re-adjust your mirrors to suit once you are happy with your set up.

Lumbar support

If your car doesn’t have adequate lumbar support consider purchasing an addition lumbar roll to support your lower back. Place this in the small of your back, just above your pelvis. You can also use a rolled up hand towel for this. We stock a range of lumbar supports at the clinic and can advise which style or shape is best for you.

Driving time

Make sure you stop at least every 2 hours – more frequently if you have a pre-existing neck or back complaint.

Get out of your vehicle and walk around for a few minutes. Stretch out your neck, roll your shoulders and gently rotate your trunk from side to side. Whilst driving, use natural pauses such as red traffic lights to gently stretch out the neck or tilt the pelvis back and forth to relieve any tension.

When you arrive

Stretch when you get out the car, try to move around for a while or go for a walk rather than swapping the car seat straight for the sofa. But try to avoid any heavy lifting or strenuous exercise immediately after getting out the car until you’ve loosened up a bit.

It’s finally almost here. Tomorrow we are opening the doors to the new clinic and studio, ready to welcome you and help you live a healthy, active, positive life, free of pain and injury. For our last giveaway, you can win a 30 minute sports massage. Just like and share this post!

2 days to go until the grand opening and today is another chance to claim 10% off all physiotherapy & sports massage appointments throughout January. Just like us and share our page and you can use this discount!

In recent years, Pilates has become recognised as one of the most effective ways to maintain a pain free life.

Our specialist, Physiotherapist led classes, will help you learn how to move efficiently, giving you strength, control and physical durability. Enthusiastic exercisers, Mum’s to be, the elderly and anyone that values their body, can all benefit from Pilates. If you’re recovering from injury it’s an excellent form of rehabilitation, training your body to ‘move better’, preventing re-occurrences.

We offer a range of classes to suit all abilities. All of our courses are progressive and encourage you to develop at your own pace. Classes are run 6 days a week, including evenings and a Saturday morning, so it’s easy to find a class that fits in with your diary. Take a look at our latest time table for the current class times.

Unlike other Pilates classes in the area, our instructors are all also qualified Physiotherapists. You’ll benefit from the small class size and the individual attention and expertise the Physio provides, guiding and progressing you through your tailored programme, enhancing your performance.

Like and share the post today and you could win a free 30 minute 1-2-1 pilates session!

With 6 days to go until our opening, here’s another chance to win a free computerised foot analysis. With so much going on in your feet, and such a crucial part to play in your day to day movement – seeing what’s going on with your feet can be really insightful. You can win a 30 minute session with one of our Physio’s. They’ll take a look at your feet and carry out a computerised foot scan. They can then discuss the findings with you. You can find out more here.

This time next week we’ll be opening the doors to our new clinic. Welcoming you to wonderful surroundings and facilities which support and promote your physical health this January.

To celebrate, today – everyone who Likes our Facebook Page, Follows us on Twitter or Instagram AND shares this post, will receive a voucher for 10% off physiotherapy & sports massage throughout January.